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When it comes to phone apps, many people use Facebook’s version multiple times a day. So it may cause you to cringe when you learn the dramatic effect it has on the battery life and speed of your Android Phone. You heard that right, the Facebook app is reportedly draining 20% of your Android’s battery while potentially slowing it down by 15%. Here’s what you need to know about this surprising news, and how to fix it.

The flaw with the Facebook app was first reported by a tech writer, Russell Holly, from androidcentral.com. Here’s what he had to say about it...

"Recently I noticed some performance issues on multiple phones, and had started paying closer attention to what exactly was causing these problems. When Facebook turned out to be one of the more egregious resource hogs, I uninstalled it to see how things improved...Not only did my performance issues go away entirely, but I discovered I didn't actually lose any of the Facebook features I cared about by uninstalling the app."

Russell Holly, however, is not the only one who’s noticed a difference in Android performance after uninstalling Facebook. Since his finding, there have been numerous reports from tech writers and Android users across the globe. Furthermore, some users have also noticed a 15% boost in speed once they uninstalled Facebook and the Messenger app.

Alternative methods to get your Facebook fill

As one of the Android’s most popular apps, whether or not to install or uninstall Facebook can be a tough decision. However, the battery benefits are so big that it’s worth exploring alternate methods to get your Facebook fill. One is to simply uninstall Facebook and keep the Messenger app. This will not give you the full 20/15% boost, but will provide a noticeable difference in both speed and battery life. Alternatively, you can also access Facebook via Google Chrome or your other Internet browser. By doing this, you can still use most of the same Facebook features (with the exceptions of a few such as location-based functionality and Instant Articles, among others) and still get the max boost to your battery and speed.

As for Facebook, this isn’t the first time the app has been accused of slowing down a phone. Last October, the app was found to drastically drain the iPhone’s battery as well. Facebook promised to work on correcting that issue, and have a similar response to this, "We have heard reports of some people experiencing speed issues stemming from our Android app...We are looking into this and will keep [users] posted. We are committed to continuing to improve these issues."

So while you’re pondering whether or not to uninstall Facebook on your phone, feel free to shoot us any of your other Android questions or concerns. We are happy to help resolve any of your Android or other IT related issues.

One of the biggest problems facing new Android users relates to music. More specifically, it relates to just how in the heck does one get their beloved, and often times robust, iTunes Library onto their shiny new Android phone. Believe it or not, the process isn’t as complicated as it seems. There are a few different methods available to you and as long as you have some free time and a bit of patience, you’ll soon be using your Android phone to listen to your favorite song.

Drag and Drop

The most straightforward method of moving music involves a task you're probably already familiar with, dragging and dropping files. Alternatively, you can also copy and paste them, the choice is yours.

Start by connecting your Android phone to your laptop. From there, you will need to create a new folder on your Android phone from your laptop where you will place your music and open it up. Once that is completed, you should then open iTunes and highlight the songs you want to move. From there you can either drag and drop the files directly into the newly created folder on your Android phone, or select copy and then paste them into the folder. The results will be the same either way and your music will transfer over to your phone. Remember, if your laptop is a Mac you will need the Android File Transfer app available from Android in order to do this.

Apple Music

Apple Music recently made its way to Android and in addition to the streaming music service you are also able to access the songs you have purchased through iTunes. When you open up the Apple Music app you should be able to see your playlists from your iTunes Library show up when you go to My Music > My Playlists. There are two things you will want to take note of when considering Apple Music for Android. First, it is $10 a month to subscribe to the service and use the app. Second, the app is still new and Apple has not quite worked out all the kinks just yet according to reports.

Google Play Music

If you don’t need the physical files on your phone and are happy having access to your music via the cloud, then Google Play Music is a solution you might want to consider. For starters, it comes pre-loaded on all Android phones so the first step is already taken care of for you. You’ll need to download the Google Music Play app on your laptop (it's compatible with both Mac and PC), and then connect it to your iTunes library which will help you during the setup process. You can store up to 20,000 songs on your Google cloud at any given time which should be enough space for most people.

The downside of Google Play Music is that you’ll need to be connected to the Internet in order to have access to your music, which means this solution isn’t ideal if you’re on a plane for a long time or in another scenario where Internet access isn’t readily available.

If you’re thinking about switching from iOS to Android phones for your business then why not give our experts a call. We can help make sure your transition a smooth one.

As mobile payments move ever closer to becoming the norm for settling bills and undertaking financial transactions, Google Wallet and Apple Pay continue to be the services that hog the limelight. While it may appear on the surface that these are the only popular options, Samsung Pay is also getting in on a slice of the NFC-technology action. The Korea-headquartered technology giant has taken another step forward by announcing its integration of support for eight more credit and debit card issuers within Samsung Pay.

Samsung Pay, which the company claims to be the most accepted mobile payment system around, already supports payment made through three of the major and most popular networks in the United States and elsewhere: Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. The latest development will be of most benefit to customers in the US, or those with accounts at these US-based financial institutions but who themselves are based overseas.

Among the newly supported payment methods are Visa cards issued through the American bank Chase and through the Navy Federal Credit Union, as well as MasterCard credit and debit cards held against accounts with the following US institutions:

Citizens Equity First Credit Union

Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union

Security Service Federal Credit Union

State Employees’ Credit Union

SunTrust

Virginia Credit Union

Other major banking institutions already supported for transactions processed through Samsung pay include Bank of America, Citibank, U.S. Bank, and Synchrony Financial. The growth of Samsung Pay, and the widening choice of options for making use of the service, are signs of the increased importance of the mobile payments sector - something that smart businesses are paying close attention to, in order to be able to identify how to best exploit the growth opportunities this presents.

Find out how you can make mobile payments work for your business - give us a call today and talk to one of our friendly team.

Following in the foodie footsteps of its predecessors comes Google’s latest operating system for Android devices - Android 6.0 M, otherwise known as Marshmallow. It’s the big sister of Lollipop, the operating system currently installed by most Android users. It’s likely to be some time before a release date is confirmed for the new operating system to be available for download to devices, but the Developer Preview has already been let out of the cage. Here’s what Google has in store for us when Marshmallow does eventually arrive.

Marshmallow was first announced at the Google I/O conference earlier this year, but it’s taken a while for a version to come through that’s ready for developers to get their hands on. However, that’s now happened, and the first publicly available release of the operating system is expected to be on the new Nexus 5 and 6 mobile devices in the coming weeks. Sadly, the rest of us are unlikely to have a crack at Marshmallow until the end of 2015 at the earliest. But when that time does come around, it’s packed with these developments.

Visual voicemail

No more dialing voicemail and listening for long-winded prompts - Marshmallow is set to offer visual voicemail functionality from right within the main phone app. That means you can see at a glance who has left you a message, listen to each voicemail, and quickly hit a button to get more information or call or text back - all without needing to wait for a long list of options to play out first. Since this feature requires work at the carrier’s end to enable compatibility, it’s expected to be available only on a handful of networks to begin with - but the list should grow as time goes on.

Screen rotation

Here’s something that competitor Apple has offered its users since even the earliest iterations of its devices - the simple ability to rotate the screen and use it in landscape as well as portrait view. It’s a wonder it’s taken Google this long to realize this was a big and frustrating gap in the Android’s functionality, but at least the wait is over. You’ll now be able to rotate the screen whether you’re on the home screen or deep in an app.

Improved app drawer

Previous releases of the Android operating system have switched up Apple’s conventional single-level, horizontal-scrolling app drawer - used for accessing apps that are already open - with a bigger and vertical-scrolling drawer. But until now this has been plagued by bugs and apparently poorly-thought-out design, with out-of-place alphabetical organization and an ineffective use of space. Marshmallow sees these fixed, with space for more icons on screen - meaning faster and simpler scrolling - and floating alphabetical icons that both save space and look cleaner.

When it’s finally released in full, Marshmallow will also pack in a range of other smaller updates. If you want to learn more about how to integrate Android devices into your business and optimize productivity in the process, just give us a call.

Android phone users can expect a new OS coming soon with Google’s announcement at this year’s Google I/O, its annual software developer conference. While they did not announce which dessert it will be named after yet, the Android M as they are calling it at the moment comes with many improvements worth mentioning. To that end, let’s take a look at the new features you can expect to see in the next Android OS.

Custom Chrome Tabs

If you’re annoyed by having to switch to the Chrome browser while you’re in a particular app, you’ll be glad that those days are over. Android M delivers a better web experience with Chrome Custom Tabs that allow you to include Chrome web view within an app making it easy to multitask. The Chrome browser will run atop your app in case you click on any link within the app, and features automatic sign-in, saved passwords and autofill.

Android Pay

Android Pay is Google’s new mobile payments system designed to make the checkout process easier and faster. Set to be available at 700,000 stores across the United States, Android Pay will work at any payment terminal equipped with NFC. Using it is simple; just unlock your phone and place it in front of an NFC-compatible POS terminal.

Fingerprint Support

Google aims to standardize support for fingerprint scanners on all phones running on Android M. This new function will allow fingerprint scanners to be used to unlock phones as well as for making purchases using Android Pay.

Google Now on Tap

With Android M, Google Now will become smarter than ever before. You’ll be able to get contextual information on anything you have running on your phone’s screen. For instance, if you’re watching a video on YouTube, holding down the home button will provide you with more information about someone in that video.

Doze Mode

This feature uses your device’s motion sensors, be it your phone or tablet, to detect when a device has no activity for a period of time, and to then automatically shut down certain processes in order to help save battery life. While in the Doze state, the system can still be activated by alarms and high-priority notifications. According to Google, Doze helped increase the standby time on the Nexus 9 by almost double when compared to the Android 5.0 Lollipop.

App Permissions

Currently, you have to accept all permissions when you install an app, which could lead to a security breach. With Android M, you can decide which permissions you want to allow or revoke, based on when those particular functions are used. For example, you can give WhatsApp access to your camera but not your microphone.

App Links

With Android M, it will be easier than ever to link from one app to another without having to land on a web page in-between. How? A special verification method ensures that app-specific links go to the right place; for instance, clicking a Facebook link in an email will take you directly to the Facebook app instead of a redirected Facebook web page that you’ll likely have to sign in to.

Direct Share

This new feature lets you share content with your most frequent contacts or apps with a single click. Android M will learn which app you share content with the most and place it at the top of a list, as well as letting you also share content with the people you contact more often. Everything will be placed directly in the share sheet for your convenience.

Simplified Volume Control

This new simplified volume control will let you independently change ringtones, media or alarm volume directly from the volume rocker instead of having to go into different settings.

Auto App Backups

Accidentally deleted an app? Not to worry; auto app backups allow you to download it again and set it up like it was before. For now, Google is limiting the backup size to 25MB per app, though this space is not counted towards the free 15GB storage space offered in Google Drive.

Android M is expected to be released later this year but you can download the Developer Preview here now if you have a Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 9 or Nexus Player. Interested in learning more about how an Android Phone could benefit you? Just give us a call; we’re sure we can help.

Android phones are turning the smartphone industry on its head with a bundle of great new features and functionality. However, many of the features and applications available on the Android device are real battery drainers. Even though Android phones’ batteries are growing bigger with every passing year, they are simply not keeping pace with all the power-hungry applications and hardware. If you want to prolong your Android phone’s battery life, you need to manage your device’s power consumption. Here are some tips to get you started.

Adjust display settings

Are you using auto-brightness display? While it sounds convenient to have your Android phone adjust the brightness on its own, this feature actually sets the brightness level higher than you really need. Save your battery by setting the brightness manually - you can always tweak it when you have to. Reduce the screen timeout display, too, so that your phone screen goes back to black faster when not in use, saving even more power.

Activate power saving mode

This is a pretty handy feature found in high-end Android phones. Power saving mode automatically limits your phone’s processor and display to use as little power as possible without turning off critical functions. You’ll still have access to basic apps, such as texting, calling, the calculator, web browsing, and Facebook. And this feature can be set to automatically activate when your Android phone’s battery drops to a certain level, so make sure you use it!

Uninstall apps

When was the last time you actually cleaned up your Android device’s installations? Navigate to Settings and Apps to find a complete list of all your applications. You can save a huge amount of storage space by getting rid of unused apps. This, in turn, will stop the processor from running these apps in the background, giving your battery a little more life.

Organize the home screen

Most Android phone users don’t realize that a cluttered home screen sucks away their battery life as well. Stash away the widgets you don’t need and ditch the live wallpapers, since animated backgrounds consume a lot of power.

Turn off vibrations

Vibration lets you know about incoming calls, messages, and notifications. But in some cases too many vibrations can be an unnecessary battery killer. You can eliminate redundant vibrations such as keypresses by turning them off on the Language & Input settings screen. While you’re at it, turn off the sound on keypress to boost saving capabilities further.

Hide notifications

As in the case of vibrations, sometimes notifications can burn away your battery, especially if you have installed a number of applications that are desperate for your attention every few hours. So ask yourself these questions: Do you need to know every time someone posts to or comments on your Facebook page? Do you want to hear about the latest deals and offers from your application? If not, do your battery justice and turn off the needless notifications.

Use location services wisely

Some apps like Google Maps require you to turn on location services to display your surroundings and give you directions. But location service chips away your battery life very quickly and you should turn it on only for as long as you need to. Either switch to lower accuracy or turn it off, and you can save a lot of power.

Battery shortage can be a frustrating issue for Android phone users. In extreme cases, you can invest in a spare battery to ensure continued use. To learn more about how to preserve battery life on your Android devices, give us a call.

For Android smartphone fans, the start of 2015 means the release of new products, and better ones too. The world of Android is full of companies ready to respond to customers with high expectations, especially when the number of smartphone users is on the rise. With an extensive range of Android phones out there, how can you determine which one works best for you? Here’s a glimpse of the top four Android phones that you can expect to arrive within this year.

Samsung Galaxy S6

If you’re a Samsung Galaxy S5 fan, the new Galaxy S6 will be just what you’re looking for. Samsung plans to change the overall design of this model following criticism of Galaxy S5’s conservative style. There are rumors about its quad-HD screen with 2560x1440 resolution, metal unibody, a 64-bit Snapdragon 810 processor with 3GB of RAM, and better camera and battery performance. As usual, the S6 will be available in three storage options: 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB.

Galaxy S6 is expected to debut at the Samsung Unpacked event, scheduled for March 1st in Barcelona. The release date should be around a month after the official announcement. It’s unlikely that Samsung will be making the Galaxy S6 any cheaper than the current Galaxy S5. So far, the estimated price for the 32GB model is around $650, the 64GB model around $800, and the 128GB version could cost an extra $100 more.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5

The Note series from Samsung has always managed to impress Android users. This means Samsung has to come up with something special to stand out further. Word has it that the Note 5 will employ an Ultra HD, 4K display and a camera with up to 50 megapixels. You can also expect wireless charging and a two-day battery life.

The release date for Note 5 is still yet to be confirmed, but Samsung tradition suggests the launch will be somewhere during September and October. As for the starting price, Samsung’s Note series has always been costly, and Note 5’s additional features could further increase the price up to around $750.

Sony Xperia Z4

After Xperia Z3’s debut in September 2014, Sony has been working around the clock to strengthen its Z-series products. The Xperia Z4 is expected to have a 5.5-inch quad-HD screen with a Snapdragon 810 processor. Sony’s smartphones are well-known for their camera quality, and the Xperia Z4 may pack in an even more impressive camera and image sensor. The new sensor will be able to record videos much faster and smoother than the previous Xperia Z3.

Sony has announced that it will not be presenting Xperia Z4 at the world’s largest mobile trade show this March, so we can assume that it will be released at a later stage in 2015. The price is rumored to be around $600-$650.

LG G4

The one thing LG prides itself on is its innovation, and the new LG G4 is sure to house some extra features. There’s a possibility that the G4 will have an eye scanner to gain secure access to the phone, but a fingerprint scanner would be more likely. LG’s smartphones are already on top when it comes to screen resolution, so G4’s display will probably be ahead of its competitors. Furthermore, a new stylus known as the G Pen will replace the poorly received LG G3 stylus.

Since the G3 is available for $600, we can assume G4 to cost the same or more at its launch. Its release is expected to come in May 2015.

Want to find out how Android phones can fit into your workplace? Get in touch with us today and see how we can help.

Android 5.0 is out and an increasing number of devices are being upgraded to it. This version of Android introduces a number of changes, including a new look and tweak to the way open and recent apps are handled (a feature called Overview). While Overview is great, there have been some grumblings over the way it handles Chrome, and more specifically open tabs in Chrome.

A brief look at Overview in Android 5.0

Android 5.0 brings about a useful change to the way Android handles multitasking. On older versions, you have the "Recent apps" feature which is accessed by pressing the square button (usually at the bottom-right of the screen) or tapping on the home button twice. When opened, you usually see a list of recent apps listed either with small snapshots or as a live list showing content.

In Android 5.0, the recent apps list has been changed to Overview which now displays open apps in cards, much like Google Now cards. You scroll through the cards to see your apps and swipe them away to close them.

How Overview works with Chrome

While the new multitask view is a great, and certainly attractive, way to see your open or recent apps, one niggling issue for some users is that each tab in Chrome is given its own card. If you are like most users and have linked your desktop browser with your phone so that tabs open in the browser show up on Chrome on your device, you will likely see a large number of cards pop up in Overview.

If you are trying to find an app, scrolling through these cards can be annoying. Luckily, there is a way to turn this feature off and set it so that Chrome itself is assigned only one card.

How to disable individual Chrome tabs in Overview

To disable individual cards for each tab:

Open Chrome on your Android device.

Press the three vertical dots at the top-right of the screen.

Select Settings.

Tap Merge tabs and apps.

Slide the radio at the top right to the left (Off).

Press OK in the pop-up window.

Chrome will reload with tabs being contained within the app itself. The number of open tabs will be displayed at the top-right of the window with a number inside a small box. Tapping on this number will display your existing tabs.

If you are looking to learn more about Android and how you can use it in your business, contact us today.

For users who have Google Apps and Android devices, Google Calendar is one of the more useful tools and app. With the recent update of Android 5.0, the tech company has been releasing updates to their mobile apps too. The latest app to get a makeover, with a new updated version, is Google Calendar and with it some great features have been introduced.

The idea behind the new Google Calendar

According to Google, the new Calendar app has been designed to truly help make lives easier. With the older version of Calendar, you have to take time to copy and paste information like location, phone numbers, and details into each event. This leads many users to simply skip adding important information when they create new events on their mobile devices.

With the latest version of Google Calendar, Google aims to make the creation of events and addition of information far easier. To do this, the new app has some useful features including:

Events pulled from Gmail

These days, when you book a flight or confirm a meeting, etc. you usually receive an email with a confirmation number and some contact information. In the new Calendar, events like this will be pulled automatically from Gmail emails and added to Calendar, along with relevant information.

For example, if you book a flight to attend a conference, you will see a new Calendar entry added with the flight information. Beyond this, events will be updated in real time, so if there is a delay with the event or you are sent an email update, Calendar will update this information on your calendar.

Assists

This new feature allows you to quickly and easily create group events. Now, when you create a new event and begin to type in information Calendar will make suggestions based on what you are typing.

For example, if you want to set a meeting with John at Starbucks around the corner you can start typing: 'Meet' and Google will come up with a list of suggested events. Tap Meeting from the drop-down menu and this will pop up in the text box. The drop-down menu changes to allow you to select more options, such as With. Tap this and enter the first letter of a name, and then select who to invite. The drop-down menu will change again and allow you to select a location by simply typing a few letters.

From the demo we have seen, this works quite well and definitely speeds up the creation of events.

Schedule View

This is a new view that has been designed to provide you with an in-depth view of the events you have scheduled. According to the Google blog, this view, "includes photos and maps of the places you’re going, cityscapes of travel destinations, and illustrations of everyday events like dinner, drinks, and yoga."

Essentially, this view makes it easier for you to see what is going on at a quick glance. Many mobile users find Schedule View particularly useful as they don't have to navigate their main calendar which can be tricky to read when you have a wealth of events planned.

How do I get the latest Google Calendar?

As of the writing of this article, the app is available on the Google Play store for all Android devices running Android 4.1. You should be able to get the app by updating the existing Google Calendar app. If you don't have the app, you can find it by searching for Google Calendar from the Google Play Store app.

If you are interested in learning more about Android, contact us today to see how our systems and experts can benefit your business too.